Journal box



June 26, 1934. w DIETER 1,964,341

JOURNAL BOX Fil ed Sept. 12. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jwomtoc Paul WDieter;

June 26, 1934.

P. w. DIETER 1,964,341

JOURNAL BOX Filed Sept. 12. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A 5 a S w K R E w k) a gwuudw I I .Paul WDieter;

Patented June 26, 1 934 UNITED STATES PATENT'OFFICE JOURNAL Box Paul W. Dieter, New York, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to P. W. Dieter, Inc., New York, N. Y.

Application September 12, 1930, Serial No. 481,538 1 Claim. (01. 308-41) This invention relates to journal boxes for improves the performance and service of this railway cars, locomotives and the like, and more type of bearing. That is to say, because of the particularly to an improvement in constructions reduction in the number of parts used, and since elf-"the. type which use a grease or heavy oil as a the journal end of the axle is more effectually 5 lubrj ciant. protected, the features of the invention which 50 T that end the invention includes a journal contribute to these results are of much practical bearing of the type including an annular bushing benefit to original installation conditions as well or sleeve adapted to fit over the axle and an as subsequent maintenance. integral box structure for completely encasing and In its broadest aspect the invention contemsurrounding the bushing and the end of the axle. plates provision of a two piece construction for 35 Accordingly, a distinctive feature of the present journal boxes where such boxes are used in coninvention resides in the provision of a two piece nection with standard truck frames now in use, journal box construction consisting of a freely and, furthermore, involves only a two piece conrotatable bushing and a one piece box or casing struction for a combined truck frame and journal sleeved thereover. A feature of the one piece box structure when embodied in integral frames 7 box orsleeve is that it eliminates the so-called as required in accordance with future standardcap or lid customarily used on journal boxes, ized truck practice on all railroads. Thus, it will thereby not only dispensing with this separate be apparent that the present invention is adaptelement as a part of the box but, at the same able to a wide range of use and will effectually time, providing for a complete closure at the function under all service conditions, requiring 75 outer end of the axle which will positively preless attention and v g greater efllciency than vent the ingress of dirt, dust, water or other forboxes of the type now generally in use. eign matter. Referring to the drawings, the journal end A With the above and other objects in View which of the axle having the Wheel W mounted on thewill more readily appear as the nature of the in- Do t n H thereOf iS adapted to receive an vent-ion is better understood, the same consists tegral one piece bushing B. This bushing is in the novel construction, combination and ar- P ov ded at the Wheel end thereof with an inrangement of parts hereinafter more fully det 'a hub e which i i e m Of a flange scribed, illustrated and claimed. offset laterally from the body of the bushing and 30 A preferred and practical embodiment of the in op ra ion en h i f e 2 o he wh l invention is shown in the accompanying drawi s hub so that as the wheel turns a rota movein which:- ment will be imparted to the bushing in addition Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved to the tractive effect of the journal portion A of journal box construction. the axle on the inside of the bushing. The bush- 35 Figure 2 is an end elevation of the improved ing B is provided throughout its circumference journal box construction. with a plurality of radially disposed openings 3 Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view which are adapted to act as pockets for receiving thereof. and holding lubricant and also conducting the Figure 4 is a vertical transverse cross seesame (usually ahard grease) to the journal por- 40 tional view. tion of the axle when in use. A feature of prac- Figure 5 is a horizontal cross sectional view tical importance in connection with the bushing of the construction shown in Figure 4. B and the hub liner 1 is that of striking the inner Figure 6 is a detail sectional view showing an and outer fillets a and b between the bushing embodiment of the invention wherein ademountsleeve and the liner flange 1 on such a radius able end cap D may be used in connection with that there is a clearance between these fillets 1 0 the casing. and the adjacent comers or fillers c and d respec- Similar reference characters designate corretively of the casing or box and of the axle. These spending parts throughout the several figures of clearances at these points prevent binding of the thedrawings. parts and also provide additional pockets for 50 The presentinvention involves a carrying" forlubricant with the result of preventing overheatward of the idea of the rotatable bushing type of ing and insuring e e y flo i movement o journal box and relates to improvements of spethe bushing a al tim s. cial importance from both a manufacturing and The sleeve-like cylindrical one-piece bushing B assembling standpoint which materially increases is adapted to receive thereon a one-piece casing 55 the efiiciency not only of these factors but also or journal box C cast as an integral unit and has the interior bushing receiving bore or recess 4 which is closed at one end by the solid end wall D. The open end is flared outwardly as indicated at 5 to provide a dust guard flange or skirt 6 adapted to surround and overhang the flanged portion of the bushing B which forms the hub liner 1 when the casing or box C is assembled on the bushing as shown in Figure 3. The outer side walls of the casing or box C are provided with the usual pedestal guides '7 for fitting the box or casing C in truck frames of the type now used on old equipment so that the box or casing C is readily. adaptable to truck constructions of types now in use. While of course the preferable, and particularly claimed construction is to have the casing or journal box'C cast with an integral outer end wall B thereby best subserving the intent and purpose of the invention, nevertheless in some cases where more ready inspection is desired a demountable end cap D may be bolted or otherwise firmly secured to the one-piece casing, as a closure for its outer side. This is shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings.

Referring further to the journal box or casing C it is pointed out that the outer wall D forms a complete and effective closure for the outer end of the axle A, and when the casing or box is assembled on the bushing and axle as shown in Figure 3, there is provided a grease pocket 8 between the inner surface of the wall D and the end of the axle and the bushing. This pocket is, of course, only practical in connection with a closed end wall D since it provides for the efiectual packing of grease at the end of the axle and bushing throughout the full diameter of the bore 4 thereby providing a sealed and thoroughly protected grease supply chamber at the outer end of the journal. The grease in this chamber, under the relative longitudinal movement occurring between the axle and the casing or box, due to the side movement of these parts under travelling conditions, will tend to force grease between the bearing faces of the bushing. axle, and casing without the necessity of utilizing any accessories at the end of the axle or on the casing for obtaining this extruding action of the grease.

The casing or box C is provided with suitable lubricating feeding means, one form of which is illustrated in the drawings wherein it will be observed that one of the walls 9 are provided with suitable lubricant storage chambers 10-10 having the closure plugs 11-l1 at their outer ends while their inner ends communicate with the lubricant distributing passages 12 for supplying lubricant from the chambers 10 to the openings 3 of the bushing B and the pocket 8. The chambers 10 may be fitted with any suitable means for filling the same. and in the example shown each chamber is provided with a filling passage 13 which communicates with the chamber at its inner or rear end while the outer ends of said passages lead to a common opening 14 which may be provided with a cap or plug 15. When this plug is removed the passages 13-13 may be supplied with grease or other lubricant from any well known pressure greasing system in use today, and, for the purpose of indicating the quantity of lubricant in the chambers 10, the same may be provided with suitable tell-tale or.indicator devices of any desired type. An example of the latter means is shown in the drawings in the form of plungers 16 which are pressed in contact with the lubricant by springs 17 while the stems 18 carried by said plungers project through the plugs 11 a greater or less distance according to the amount of lubricant in the chambers 10-10.

It will also be observed that the chambers 10 are provided with the radially disposed passages 12 and closure plugs 12 which are alined with the lubricant feeding openings 12. The plugs 12 are located on an exposed face or wall of the casing so that if desired 'a pressure grease feed connection may be connected at a point in line with the feed openings 12, or, the openingsor passages 12 may be utilized for the insertion of a cleaning tool in the event that the feed passage 12 should become fouled and prevent the proper feeding of grease from the chambers 10 to the bushing-under the influence of the spring pressed plungers 16.

Without further description it is thought that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to. without departing from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

V In a journal box of the class described. the combination with the journal box casing having a side wall and a closed outer end wall. of means accessible from said closed outer end wall for supplying lubricant to the bearing. said means comprising a pocket formed in said side wall of the casing and communicating at its inner end with the bearing. a plug removably engaging the outer end wall and located at the outer end of said pocket, a spring pressed plunger operating as the pocket and communicating at its inner end with the pocket, and a removable filler plug located at the outer face of the box for removabiy closing the inlet end to said filling passage.

PAUL W. DIETER. 

